Datura stramonium Thorn apple
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Datura
Species
stramonium
Datura stramonium, known by the common names Jimson weed or Devil's snare, is a
plant in the nightshade family. It is believed to have originated in Mexico, but has now
become naturalized in many other regions. Other common names for D. stramonium include
thornapple and moon flower, and it has the Spanish name toloache. Other names for the
plant include hell's bells,devil’s trumpet, devil’s weed, tolguacha, Jamestown weed,
stinkweed, locoweed, pricklyburr, and devil’s cucumber. Datura has been used in
traditional medicine to relieve asthma symptoms and as an analgesic during surgery or
bonesetting. It is also a powerful hallucinogen and deliriant, which is used spiritually
for the intense visions it produces. However, the tropane alkaloids responsible for both
the medicinal and hallucinogenic properties are fatally toxic in only slightly higher
amounts than the medicinal dosage, and careless use often results in hospitalizations
and deaths.